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Rock, Paper, Scissors (aka "Ro-Sham-Bo", janken, "Bato, Bato, Pick" and "Scissors, Paper, Stone") is a simple hand game that is played around the world, with many different names and variations. It is commonly used as a way of coming to decisions, and in some cases is even played for sport. The rules require that competing players use one hand to form one of three shapes at an agreed-upon time. The person that plays the strongest “object” is the winner of the game. It's that easy! Rock, Paper, Scissors is a simple game that anybody can play and win. There is no obvious advantage to the stronger, older, more experienced opponent.

Steps

Part 1

Playing Rock, Paper, Scissors

1

Think of an issue that needs to be settled. Unless you’re playing for amusement’s sake, some issue will normally be hanging in the balance. Maybe you’re trying to decide who gets the last slice of pizza, or who should be first in line to try out a new waterslide. In most cases, Rock, Paper, Scissors is played as a means to help make a choice or put an end to a disagreement. The idea is that both players have an equal chance of winning, making the game random but fair.[1]

Rock, Paper, Scissors can be used to decide anything from what movie you see with your friends to who should inherit a collection of priceless paintings.[2]

While patterns do emerge during gameplay, they are neutralized by the unpredictability of the other player’s choice.

2

Face off against another person. For the game to play out correctly, there need to be two players. Stand facing one another a few paces apart. Place one hand flat out in front of you, palm up. Your other hand will be used to make the shape of the object you want to play once the game starts.[3]

Rock, Paper, Scissors can only be played by two people at a time.

3

Count down to make your play. Agree on a cue that you’ll use to match shapes with your opponent. In the majority of games, the players throw their shape on the count of three (sometimes counted off by reciting each word of the game’s title). You can also count down by saying “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” On the word “shoot,” both players reveal the object they chose.[4]

Tap your closed playing hand against your palm as you count down. This will help you and your opponent get synchronized.

Be sure that you’re on the same page as far as timing your plays.

4

Play one of the three objects against your opponent. When it comes time to play, you and your opponent will each form one of the three objects—either rock, paper or scissors. You’ll then name a winner based on which object they played. Every game will be different, so stay alert! [5]

Both players must throw at the same time. If one player delays, the result isn’t trustworthy, and you should start the game over.

Don’t play the same object every time. Switch it up to fool your opponent.

5

Determine the winner. After you’ve both played an object, look to see who’s won. Each object wins against one shape and loses to another. For instance, rock “crushes” scissors but is “covered” by paper, paper “covers” rock but is “cut” by scissors, and scissors is “crushed” by rock but “cuts” paper. The player who picks the stronger of the two objects is the winner.[6]

If both players throw the same object, it’s a tie. In this situation, simply play again until there is a clear winner.

The loser of the game has the right to call for “best 2 out of 3,” meaning that 3 rounds will be played instead of just 1. This gives the losing player a chance to come out on top.

Part 2

Choosing Which Item to Throw

1

Play rock. To play “rock,” simply ball your hand up into a fist when you and your opponent shoot. Rock beats scissors, but loses to paper.

People tend to throw rock more often than the other shapes, especially if they're inexperienced. Remember this when choosing which object to play.

Try to predict your opponent's next move by paying attention to their patterns.

2

Play paper. Throw “paper” by extending your hand palm down with your fingers outstretched. Paper wins against rock, but loses to scissors.

Paper is a good object to throw if you're undecided because there's a bigger chance that your opponent will play rock than scissors.

3

Play scissors. For "scissors," use two fingers to mimic the shape of an open pair of scissors. Scissors has an advantage over paper but can be beat by rock.

If you find yourself losing when you throw rock, switch to scissors. This will help you overcome an opponent who relies on paper.

Part 3

Playing the Game in Various Situations

1

Use a quick game to settle disputes. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors the next time you need to resolve some disagreement in a flash. For instance, you could compete for the privilege of getting the window seat. And, of course, you can always play a series of games to give each player a fighting chance.[7]

Rock, Paper, Scissors is better than other games of chance, like drawing straws or flipping a coin, because there’s an element of control involved.

Both players should be willing to accept whatever the outcome may be.

2

Determine an order for doing something. Rock, Paper, Scissors can also be handy for establishing what order things come in, like when you’re fighting with your friends over who gets to be in the front of the line. You can even play several games between three or more people to set up a final order in advance. After each player has gone up against everyone else, tally up your total number of wins, using tie-breaker games as needed.

A few rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors can help you set up an order faster than talking it out can.

3

Enter a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. Put your Rock, Paper, Scissors skills to the test in an organized competition. There, you’ll go head-to-head with other experienced players, learn to pick up on their tells and try to outwit them with superior tactics. There may even be a little bit of prize money or some other reward for you if you emerge the winner.[8]

If you can't find an existing group or tournament, start one of your own. Since you don’t need any special qualifications to enter, anyone has a fair shot at winning!

Though it might sound strange, the simple hand game has gained a lot of popularity as a test of strategy and chance.

4

Play for fun. Even if there’s nothing riding on the game, you can still play Rock, Paper, Scissors for your own enjoyment. Keep tally of you and your opponent’s wins and losses, and play until one of you reaches a predetermined number. It’s similar to Tic-Tac-Toe in that you can go through multiple games in a lightning-quick fashion. That spontaneity will help keep you on your toes!

Traditionally, playful punishments were devised for whoever lost a series of games, such as a slap on the wrist.[9]

Ideally, be 10-15% slower than your opponent (at a still-fast pace). Not enough to be obvious to your opponent, but at that final decisive moment, you can predict with 60-80% accuracy their choice of hand, and correspondingly so can beat them. Here's how:
If, when they beat their hand, they begin to rotate it 90 degrees at the last second, they're most likely going for paper. If they don't begin to rotate their hand, but you see any fingers begin to extend, they're likely going for scissors. No rotation and no finger movement is rock.

Statistically, assuming a purely random chance of opposition, you would have a 1/3 chance every time. Your chances of always winning would shrink by (1/3)^x where x is the number of times you play the game. However, in reality, the more you play with a single partner the more likely they will notice your lack of variety, and your chances of winning would be even less than (1/3)^X.

Each object has a unique way of winning or losing when played against other objects. Rock in particular is vulnerable to being enveloped by paper. Therefore, you theoretically have an equal chance of victory regardless of what you play. This is where the wild card of chance comes in, though there may be a bit of strategy involved in predicting what your opponent will play based on patterns they display.

I saw 7 or 8 people playing this game at a time. How would they decide the winner?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Each player probably paired off with another player, then played a round, after which the loser stepped out of the game, until there were two players left, and they played one last round against each other.

To play Rock, Paper, Scissors, try to play an item that beats your opponent’s item in order to win the game. First, learn the different hand motions for the items. For rock, make a fist with your hand. For paper, hold your hand out flat. For scissors, extend your pointer finger and middle finger. Next, learn which items beat each other. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. To play, find an opponent and stand facing each other with one hand flat in front of you and your other hand making a fist on your palm. Then, count down by saying “rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” On “shoot,” play either a rock, paper, or scissors with your hand. Whoever makes the winning item with their hand wins! If both of you choose the same item, it’s a tie. To play for longer, keep track of who wins each round. Then, whoever wins the most rounds out of 3 wins the game. If you want to learn when to use Rock Paper Scissors to make decisions, keep reading the article!

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Tested By:

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Co-authors: 51

Updated: July 27, 2019

Views: 471,714

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TP

Taniya Pristy

May 5, 2017

"There were many rock, paper, scissors games at many Korean programs. But I couldn't understand what was going on. After reading this article, I understood the way of playing this game. Thanks for the help, everyone!"..." more

DM

Donna Milton

Nov 11, 2017

"The fact that rock has it over paper, i.e., paper covers rock. It took me a while to wrap my brain around that rule, because in real life, a rock will break paper up. I get it now, though. Thanks."..." more

JT

Judy T.

Jul 8, 2017

"I read an article that used 'paper over rock' as an explanation for a strategy used in a conference, and decided it was time for me to know how the game works. "..." more

EC

Elaine Charlotte

Aug 14, 2017

"If you skip over the parts that aren't necessary, the article is informative. All you need to know is what covers, breaks, or otherwise cuts. "..." more

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Paulita Farr

Jun 7, 2017

"I was always left out because I didn't understand the rules of the game (i.e. paper covers rock?). But now that I get it, I can play! Yay!"..." more

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MG

Mary Garcia

Jun 13, 2017

"I've seen it played since I was a child, but never understood the rules. I'm now 80. Thanks for the info."

JN

Judy Ann Nash

Jun 20, 2016

"My children played this and I had know idea what they were doing. Now I know, thanks."

DT

Donna Thorne

Nov 19, 2016

"I had forgotten how to play a simple child's game, and this solved my question."

CL

Carol Loehr

Sep 5, 2017

"I never understood this game, and this article explains it nicely. Now I know!"

Rated this article:

AM

Anubhav Mishra

Jul 15, 2016

"It was very good. I easily understood how to play rock, paper, scissors."

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May 27, 2017

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Jul 8, 2017

"It really helped, I was kinda confused but now I know how this works."